Un Blames Hamas For Breaking Gaza Ceasefire

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has blamed Hamas for violating the ceasefire in Gaza and demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of an Israeli soldier" thought to be captured by Hamas.



"The Secretary-General urges both sides to show maximum restraint and return to the agreed 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire that tragically lasted such a brief period of time," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday.



Accusing Hamas operatives of killing two soldiers and capturing another, Israel on Friday declared the collapse of a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip which had gone into effect at 8 a.m. local time (GMT 05: 00).



Ban said the UN had no independent means to verify the Israeli allegations.



"This would constitute a grave violation of the ceasefire, and one that is likely to have very serious consequences for the people of Gaza, Israel and beyond," he said.



Hamas has accused Israel of using reports about the abduction of the soldier to end the humanitarian ceasefire and cover up what it described as Israeli massacres in the Palestinian territory.



"There is no justification for Israel to violate the truce as the officer was captured and the two soldiers were killed ahead of the truce," senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk said Friday.



The UN chief also voiced concern about the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza and the killing of over 70 Palestinians in the morning.



The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has reached 1,522 by Friday evening, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.



The UN political chief Jeffrey Feltman told reporters Friday that it would be "extremely difficult" for Israel and Hamas to return back to the negotiation table after the alleged kidnap of the Israeli soldier.



He said that UN chief Ban was "profoundly disappointed" that the "assurances from Hamas were not kept."



He lamented that both sides, particularly Palestinian civilians from Gaza, might have lost the opportunity for a much needed reprieve to help their injured, bury their dead and repair vital infrastructure destroyed by severe bombardment.



www.aa.com.tr/en - New York